Sydney Newman fonds [multiple media]
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Hierarchy 
Sydney Newman fonds [multiple media]
Hierarchical level:FondsContext of this record:Fonds includes:15 lower level description(s)View lower level description(s) -
Finding aid Textual records: (Paper) The finding aid provides a file list of the textual records and 14 pictures. MSS2159Textual records: (Electronic) Finding aid. MSS2159
http://data2.archives.ca/pdf/pdf001/p000000679.pdfMotion pictures, videotapes and sound recordings: (Electronic) See MISACS database for a detailed item listing. -
Record information Sydney Newman fonds [multiple media]
Date:1932-1997.Reference:R738-0-7-EType of material:Textual material, Art, Moving images, Sound recordings, PhotographsFound in:Archives / Collections and FondsItem ID number:140326Date(s):1932-1997.Place of creation:No place, unknown, or undeterminedExtent:7.5 m of textual records.
6.79 MB of textual records.
986 photographs : b&w and col.
19 film reels (4 h, 8 min).
26 videocassettes (24 h, 10 min).
13 audio cassettes (13 h, 20 min).
11 audio reels (5h, 8 min).
6 prints.
186 drawings : 4 sketchbooks.
29 posters.
12 stage designs.
14 pictures.
46 artworks (58.1 MB)
51 photographs (77 MB)Language of material:EnglishScope and content:The fonds consists of textual records, in both paper and electronic form, pictures, motion pictures, video recordings and sound recordings. Included are letters to and from Newman, memoranda, reports, financial records, personal documents, memorabilia, clippings, printed material, posters, manuscripts, notes, scripts, films produced by Newman, broadcasts, oral history interviews and other material. The records have been arranged to reflect the chronology of Newman's life, with the series documenting the various stages in his career. The series are as follows: personal material; correspondence; commercial art records; National Film Board files; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation files; ABC Television files; BBC Television files; Associated British Films files; Canadian Radio-Television Communications Commission files; Secretary of State files; freelance work records; interviews and memoirs; histories and studies on film and broadcasting; clippings; and art studies and works.
System description: It appears that Newman created all his earliest textual records in electronic form on an Amstrad PCW 8512 microprocessor using Protext and LocoScript software under CP/M (probably acquired while he was in England). These documents were converted to PC formats or ASCII by a contractor in St. Andrews, Scotland, on behalf of the National Archives. Later documents which were created using Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0c were retained in that format. Later documents which were created using Microsoft Word for MAC 5.0 were converted at the National Archives to Microsoft Word for PC and WordPerfect for Windows 6.x.
The photographic records consist of photographs documenting Sydney Newman's early life; his career in commercial art and with the National Film Board, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC Television, BBC Television, Associated British Films, Canadian Radio-Television Communications Commission, and Secretary of State; his works of art; his personal life; also included are photographs taken by Newman during the 1930s, mostly figures and portraits studies. There are photographs documenting his set designs for Jupiter Theatre and his art classes. Also included are portraits and snapshots of Newman by various photographers; photographs of him at conferences (including the First Canadian Television Clinic, later Academy of Arts, 1950), on trips (including in China with Deng Xiaoping, 1974), at awards events, and at the NFB, CBC and BBC. There are few family photographs dating back to 1926. There are a number of television and film production stills and a couple photographs of the Stratford Festival (including one of Lorne Greene, Michael Langham, Lloyd Bochner and William Shatner). Among the photographers represented are John Steele, Bob Cunningham, Stephen Chesley, Herb Taylor, Ken Bell, Peter Smith, E.H. Hausman, Rick Porter and Dennis Colwell.
The graphic material consists of 4 sketchbooks, 182 drawings, 6 prints, 29 posters, 12 stage designs and 4 medals, as well as some clippings of published artwork. The material is largely by Sydney Newman but also includes work by Nat Petroff, Molly Lamb Bobak, Grant Munro, Don Arioli, Aislin, and others. Includes caricatures of colleagues at the National Film Board drawn by Newman and posters designed by Newman & Petroff for various Russian films shown by the Cosmopolitan Film Company.
The electronic files consist of scans of photographs created by Sydney Newman and others, of printed images, and of computer-created paint files. These have been melded, revised, changed, or left whole and complete. The intent of the selection (for the original files were very repetitive) was to show Mr. Newman's interest in the computer's image-changing/creating possibilities specifically in reference to photographic and photographically-based images.Provenance:Biography/Administrative history:Newman, Sydney, 1917-1997 : Sydney Newman was born in 1917 in Toronto. He studied art at the Art Gallery of Toronto's Saturday morning art classes under Arthur Lismer and was educated at the Central Technical School. Following his graduation, he worked as a commercial artist and photographer during the late 1930s. Among other projects, he designed and executed stage sets for a Dominion Drama Festival production of the play "Steel", created caricatures of Canadian industrialists for "The Financial Post" and murals for an Association of Canadian Bookmen convention at the King Edward Hotel, taught arts and crafts to children at Camp Winnebago, designed posters for distributors of Russian films and window displays for Toronto stores, and did photo assignments for the Art Gallery of Toronto.
Newman joined the National Film Board in 1941, as a production assistant. After writing and directing Army training films between 1941 and 1943, he was assigned to the "Canada Carries On" series. In 1947, he was appointed executive producer of the NFB's theatrical productions, including its "Eyewitness" series. He spent a year, 1949-1950, in New York studying American television techniques and was appointed to a joint NFB- CBC committee on television.
In 1952, Newman joined the CBC's fledgling television service as supervising director of remote broadcasts. In 1954, he became supervising producer of television drama, responsible for the three series "General Motors Theatre", "Ford Theatre" and "On Camera". For the next four years, he worked with such directors as David Green, Arthur Hiller, Silvio Narizzano and Ted Kotcheff and with such writers as Sidney Furie, Len Peterson, George Salverson and Arthur Hailey to produce television drama. At the same time, he did set designs for Jupiter Theatre's productions of Nathan Cohen's play "Blue is for Mourning", as well as for Cole Porter's "Out of This World" and Anouilh's "Ring Round the Moon".
Newman's CBC work came to the attention of British television executives, and in 1958 he emigrated to London and joined ABC-Television, where he produced the famous "Armchair Theatre" series and "The Avengers". In 1963, he moved over to head BBC television drama, producing, among other series, "Dr. Who". In 1968, attracted by the idea of making feature films, Newman left the BBC for Associated British Pictures and spent three years developing film projects that never came to fruition because of management changes within the organization. Disillusioned, he returned to Canada.
After a brief stint as adviser to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, in 1970 Newman was appointed Commissioner of the National Film Board, a post he held until 1975. Under his leadership, the NFB opened production offices in Halifax and Vancouver. Newman then worked as a special adviser on film to the Secretary of State, 1975-1978, before embarking on a free-lance career as film consultant and producer. His last project was to produce Benjamin Britten's "The Little Sweep" for Thames Television.
Newman was honoured by the Royal Society of Arts and the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers for his contributions to television, and received the Order of Canada in 1981. He died in October 1997.Additional information:Custodial history:The fonds was received in 1998 from Sydney Newman's daughter Deirdre Newman of Toronto, into whose possession the material had come. Some of Sydney Newman's records were damaged in a flood which occurred in his house during his lifetime and were subsequently lost.Container note(s):328 : colour photographs
329 : b&w material
330 : b&w material
331 : 2 b/w panoramas
332 : laminated b/w photograph on wood
333 : b/w large photographsSource:Private -
Ordering and viewing options Conditions of access:Access restriction documentTextual records[Consultation Restrictions vary]Finding aid box [FA 2159] 236[Consultation Closed]Textual records: electronic[Consultation Restrictions vary]Graphic (art)[Consultation Open]
Under the supervision of an art archivist.Moving images (film)[Consultation Open]Moving images (video)[Consultation Open]Sound recordings[Consultation Open]Graphic (photo)[Consultation Open]Volume [R738] 328--333[Consultation Open]Graphic (art): electronic[Consultation Open]Graphic(photo): electronic[Consultation Open]Terms of use:Textual records: The recipient of copies is responsible for determining whether material is subject to copyright and for ascertaining the name of the person or organization holding copyright. The recipient is also responsible for determining whether any use of copyrighted material does or does not constitute an infringement of copyright under the Copyright Act.You can order materials in advance to be ready for you when you visit. You will need a user card to do this.
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